Rebirth in America: Starting with the MGM Acquisition

In California， Los Angeles， at the UCLA Medical Center， one of the most esteemed hospitals in the nation with remarkably high medical standards， a young man gradually regained consciousness in a single-patient room. His vision， initially blurred， slowly came into focus. He furrowed his brow and surveyed his surroundings， quickly realizing he was in a hospital， lying on a bed with a woman by his side， who， having fallen asleep， was now resting beside him. “Ouch!” Before he could grasp the situation， a sharp pain struck the back of his head， and his mind was overwhelmed by a flood of memories， surging like a tidal wave. After a brief moment of pain， the young man felt the bandages on his head and exclaimed，“Damn! I’ve traveled through time!” The traveler， from the 21st century， was an assistant director on a film set， with his uncle as the director. He had been on the verge of directing his own film after completing this one. That day， after a heavy drinking session with his rowdy crew， he had not yet begun his directing career before he mysteriously collapsed at the table. Upon waking， he found himself inhabiting the body of an unfortunate patient in this hospital. The unfortunate soul he now inhabited was named Eric Cooper， a tall and handsome 22-year-old Caucasian who had recently graduated from UCLA， a prestigious institution known for its exceptional programs in economics and finance. Some might question the designation of a UCLA graduate as a high achiever， but such judgments are misguided. Just as different universities excel in different fields， USC shines in film arts， while UCLA is renowned for its strengths in economics and finance. The school boasts numerous Nobel and Fields Medal laureates and is recognized as one of the public Ivies. Any institution associated with the Ivy League holds a prominent place in the education sector. In addition to his commendable appearance and academic prowess， Eric Cooper came from a respectable background. Though not of noble lineage， his father was a notable figure， currently serving as the CEO of MGM. Yes， that MGM， the lion's roar of the movie industry， with Eric’s father， Charlie Cooper， at its helm. Eric’s mother， Emily Cooper， was a relatively traditional homemaker， dedicated to family life and had successfully raised Eric’s elder brother， while Eric， as the youngest and most cherished， was the apple of her eye. “Having read so many web novels， though my transmigration isn’t top-tier， it’s certainly above average. Compared to those who start from scratch and toil endlessly， my starting point is far superior.” “And with my father being MGM’s CEO， even though the company faced bankruptcy and was acquired by sss， it’s still a major enterprise. It shouldn’t be too difficult for him to help his son make a few films.” “My demands are modest: a low-budget film will suffice， perhaps even a horror movie. What I truly desire is to get behind the director’s microphone， something I’ve long yearned for!” As Eric contemplated his situation， he noticed the nurse beside him stir and， upon seeing her son awake， she let out a startled cry， her tears flowing freely. “Oh my God， Eric， Eric， my son， you’re finally awake!” Gazing at the haggard face of the middle-aged woman before him， Eric took a moment to accept his new identity with equanimity. Since he had transmigrated， it was time to bid farewell to his past self. He gently patted his mother’s back and attempted to offer some comforting words， but his voice was hoarse from days of unconsciousness.“Mom， I think I need some water.” Emily Cooper quickly wiped her tears， summoned doctors and nurses， and poured a glass of water for him. As a man in his twenties， Eric was reluctant to be fed by his mother:“Mom， I can manage myself. My head is a bit dizzy， but it’s nothing serious.” Nevertheless， Emily persisted in feeding him. Despite Eric’s reluctance， as a patient， he had no choice but to accept. He soon recalled the cause of his injury: he had fallen from the balcony of his family’s villa， landing headfirst from the second floor. Without any spinal fractures or high-level paralysis， it was evident that Eric Cooper’s physical condition was quite robust. Shortly， the doctors and nurses arrived. Given the hospital’s high ranking in Los Angeles and its private room service， the care was excellent. After conducting a series of examinations， Dr. Charles displayed a constipated expression. “Mr. Cooper， based on the results， although your body is somewhat weak， it is within normal ranges. However， with over thirty years of medical experience， I find it puzzling. Typically， a coma lasting over half a month would likely result in a vegetative state. I’m not cursing you， but this is quite unusual.” Eric thought to himself，“You wouldn’t understand that my soul has swapped!” “Dr. Charles， perhaps I’m just lucky. So， can I be discharged now?” Dr. Charles hesitated，“Theoretically， yes， but I would recommend staying for observation， at least for a week!” Eric rolled his eyes，“Since everything seems normal， I don’t see the need for observation. What I need now is not disinfectant， but fresh air!” After a series of tests that consumed over two hours， when Eric left the examination room， Emily Cooper was waiting， accompanied by a middle-aged man. The man， dressed in a suit， with leather shoes and a tie， was likely someone who had rushed over from work， undoubtedly still working overtime—don’t assume that Americans don’t work long hours. “Eric， my son， I am so overjoyed to see you awake，” Charlie Cooper said， hurrying to embrace his son. “Be careful， Charlie， you might hurt him!” Emily quickly pulled her husband away. Eric shrugged，“Mom， your son isn’t that fragile.” Yet Charlie Cooper still released him promptly，“I’m just so emotional， I don’t even know what to say. Honestly， I’ve never been this grateful to God before!” Following this， there was a discussion between the medical staff and the family. Eric insisted on being discharged， while Dr. Charles recommended a week of observation. In the end， they compromised. A week of observation was impossible; three days was the limit. The Cooper couple， though heartbroken for their son， respected the doctor’s advice and settled on this middle ground. As Eric glanced at a calendar on the nurse’s station， he was struck by the date: May 20， 2002. Suddenly， a bolt of realization flashed through his mind. “2002， MGM， John Woo， The Wind Whisperer.